'My neighbours' tap has been running for 13 years – they leave it on for the cats' – The Mirror
A homeowner has been left frustrated over the sound of constant running water coming from their neighbour’s house, but the couple in question don’t see an issue with it
When it comes to neighbours, it's not unusual to find some of their antics a little annoying – from taking up space in the bins to stealing parking spaces and making loud noise.
That noise often comes in the form of music or shouting, but for one person it's the sound of constantly running water coming from their neighbour's garden. And to make matters worse, the water has started to flood into their own garden.
But when they finally managed to catch the neighbours to ask them what was going on, it's fair to say they were left pretty shocked by the answer.
Writing on Reddit, the anonymous user explained the frustrating situation, saying: "For the last couple of months I've heard constant running water from the neighbour's garden, and it's started to flood into our garden and pool/puddle.
"Finally bumped into them. Said I could hear running water and wondered if there was a burst outdoor pipe/tap.
"They looked at me like I was mad, and said 'Oh no, that's just the bathroom tap outlet, we leave the bathroom tap running constantly so the cats can help themselves to fresh water. The tap has been on for 13 years'.
"I was actually too taken aback to say anything and just was like ehhhhh okay…
"The noise is so loud from outside and it's puddling in our garden… never mind the sheer waste of it all. Have I any comeback here? Surely this isn't allowed?"
Dozens of people responded to the post with many also gobsmacked by the idea of a tap running for 13 years straight. One person proclaimed: "That is f***ing bonkers."
Another replied: "Selfish f***er! Try that inordinate water wastage through a meter, and then pay for it. Little wonder the Water Service cannot keep up."
Others encouraged the person to contact the local council or water provider about the issue. In response to this, the original poster added: "I'm going to try and talk to them again and see if they can turn it off, really hesitant to make a complaint as I don't want a war with the neighbours."
It's unclear from the post whether the neighbours are paying for a water meter or if they are an unmeasured customer and pay a fixed fee for water, but water services encourage people to save water as much as they can regardless as turning off a tap while washing your hands, cleaning your teeth or shaving can save over six litres of water every minute.
An expert plumber, Richard Burke, also previously told The Journal that leaving taps running can cause "problems elsewhere" in the plumbing including blocking drains and sinks filling up and overflowing.
Do you have a neighbour story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email courtney.pochin@mirror.co.uk
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